Antirattler thill-coupling.



PATENTED JULY W. A. BURNOP & G. H. SPITZLI. ANTIRATTLER THILL COUPLING.

APPLICATION FILED 0OT.11, 1907.

ATTORNEYS UNITED srarns PATENT QFFTQE.

WILLIAM A. BURNOP, OF DEERFIELD, AND GEORGE H. SPITZLI, OF UTIUA, NEW YORK, ASSIGNORS TO SPllZLl hlANUFAOTURTNG' COMPANY, Oil! U'lIUA, NEW YORK.

ANTIRA'ITLER THILL-COUPLING.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Application filed October 11, 1907.

Patented July '7', 1908.

Serial No. 396,881.

T 0 all whom it may concern:

Be it known that we, l l' ummn A. Bow

NOP, of Deer-field, and Gnonon ll. Srrrzu, of

' Utica, each in the county of Oneida and State of New York, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Antirattler llhill-Couplings; and we do hereby declare that the following is a full, clear, and exact description thereof, which will enable. others skilled in the art to which it appertains to make and use the same, reference being had to the accompanying drawings, and to the letters of reference marked thereon, which form part of this specification.

The object of our invention is to provide an antirattler thill coupling, which is simple in construction, efficient in use and adapted to sundry sizes of wagon axles and. fittings without change.

Figure 1 shows a perspective view of our device in position of use and in connection with a thill iron, wagon axle and clip. Fig. 2 is a side elevation of the device applied and in the position preliminary to locking. Fig. 3 is a perspective view on an enlarged scale of the locking lever, spring and securing bolt constituting the operative parts of our device.

Referring to the reference letters and figures in a more particular description, 1 indicates the thill iron, which is provided with the usual eye on its end received between the ears 2 of the clip 3, which embraces the axle 1 with its cap 5 in the usual manner, and is provided with screw-threaded shanks 6 hav ing nuts 7 applied thereto and serving to bind the parts together with the aid of the clip bar 8. The ears 2, as well as the shank of the thill iron, are perforated to receive the pintle branch of the U-shaped bolt 9. Pivotally mounted on the other branch of the U-shaped bolt 9 is the locking lever 10. Pivotally mounted by one end in the short arm of the locking lever 10 is the flat substantially S-shaped spring 11, which in width is adapted to be readily received between the ears 2 and at its upper end is shaped to substantially conform to the end of the thill iron 1. It is evident that the locking lever 10, together with the spring 11, can be thrown around into a position where the free end of the spring will be withdrawn from between the ears 2 of the shackle. lVhen so withdrawn the pintle portion 9" of the bolt can be witlulrawn from the ears and the thill iron replaced therein.

lVhen it is desired to lock the parts together, the free end of the spring 1.]. is introduced between the ears 2, back of and hearing on the end of the thill iron, and the short arm of the locking lever is brought into engagement with the forward nut 7 of the shackle. The swinging end of the locking lever 10 is then forced around in a direction indicated by the arrow in Fig. until it assumes a horizontal position. directly under the bar 8. Just prior to assuming its iinal locked position the locking lever 10, under the impulse of the spring, moves forwardly until the cross bar l0" comes into engagement with the forward nut 7, in which position the parts are all iirmly locked together. When in locked position the rear end of the locking lever 10 extends to the rear of the axle in convenient position to be grasped for operation in unlocking. \Vhen in locked position the spring 11 is held under tension, pressing firmly against the end of the thill iron 1, holding the same against rattling. The uncoupling is accomplished by forcing downwardly the rear end of the lever 10 until the cross bar 10 becomes disengaged from the nut 7, and continuing the operation until the parts become free enough to allow the free end of the spring to be withdrawn from between the ears 2.

It will be noted that when the spring 11 is under compression in its holding position, a

part of the re-action is from the arm of the U-shaped bolt on which it is pivoted, and a part is resisted by the nut 7 engaging with the cross bar 10.

Ordinarily anti-rattler thill couplings are required to be made in numerous sizes to correspond with the thickness of the axle and parts of the carriage with which the parts engage. It is a feature of this construction that it is equally operative with wagons having larger or smaller clips and shackles, as the engagement with the locking lever is with the forward nut of the clip, and the position of the rear nut of the clip or of any other parts of the axle is of .little or no account in the construction.

hat we claim as new and desire to secure by Letters Patent is:

1. The combination in a thill coupling of the axle clip having a pair of perforated cars,

screw-threaded shanks with nuts and a cross bar, the thill iron having an eye received be tween the perforated ears, the U-shaped bolt, the locking lever pivotally mounted on one arm of the bolt, and the S-shaped s ring pivotally secured in the short arm of the ocking lever and arranged to have the other end engage the thill eye, substantially as set forth.

2. The combination in a thill coupling of a shackle on the axle having a pair of perforated ears, the thill iron having an eye adapted to be received between the ears, the U shaped bolt, the locking lever pivotally mounted on one arm of said bolt and having means for engaging with the shackle, and the S-shaped spring pivotally secured in the short arm of the locking lever and arranged to have its free end received between the ears .of the shackle and engage the thill iron eye,

substantially as set forth.

the axle clip having a pair of perforated ears,- screw-threaded shanks with nuts and a cross bar under the aXle, the thill iron having an eye received between the ears, the Ushaped bolt, one branch of which serves as a pintle passing through openings in the ears and the thill iron, a locking lever pivotally mounted on the other arm of the bolt having means for engagement with the aXle clip, and the S-shaped s ring pivotally secured on the 'short arm of the locking lever and arranged to have the other end engage with the thill iron eye, substantially as set forth.

In witness whereof, we have affixed our signatures, in presence of two witnesses, this 5th day of October 1907.

'WILLIAM A. BURNOP. GEORGE H. SPITZLI.

Witnesses:

GEO. E. RENDELL, EMMA S. Hnssn. 

